Medicament information system and method

ABSTRACT

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method of using an emergency medicament device. The method includes reading an ID tag from the medicament device using a mobile device; automatically requesting instructions for using the medicament device based on the ID tag; and displaying a video to a user of the mobile device, the video providing instructions for using the medicament device in accordance with approved labeling of the medicament device. Various exemplary embodiments relate to an electronic medicament device including: a reservoir configured to store an amount of medication for treating anaphylaxis; an administration component for administering the medication to a patient; a processor communicatively connected to a memory storing medicament device information; and an identification tag configured to be read by another device, the identification tag providing the medicament device information including identification of instructions for using the medicament device.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/732,753 filed on Dec. 3, 2012, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various exemplary embodiments disclosed herein relate generally toadministration of medicaments.

BACKGROUND

Some people suffer from medical conditions such as severe allergies thatmay result in anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis may be treated by administrationof epinephrine. Patients may be prescribed an auto-injector ofepinephrine to treat sudden anaphylaxis.

Anaphylaxis, however, often leads to an emergency situation whereinepinephrine or other medication should be administered as soon aspossible to prevent loss of life or other complications. Proper use ofthe auto-injector to treat anaphylaxis is therefore important. Patientswith medical conditions that may result in anaphylaxis are ofteninexperienced at providing medical treatment. Use of an auto-injectormay also be intimidating for some patients. Moreover, an emergencysituation requiring treatment may arise at unexpected times or after asignificant time from receiving the auto-injector and instructions foruse from a doctor or pharmacist. Additionally, due to the unpredictableuse of the auto-injector, the medicament may expire before theauto-injector is used. An expired medicament may not effectively treatanaphylaxis in an emergency situation.

SUMMARY

In light of the present need for various contingency planning in theadministration of epinephrine and other medications, a brief summary ofvarious exemplary embodiments is presented. Some simplifications andomissions may be made in the following summary, which is intended tohighlight and introduce some aspects of the various exemplaryembodiments, but not to limit the scope of the invention. Detaileddescriptions of a preferred exemplary embodiment adequate to allow thoseof ordinary skill in the art to make and use the inventive concepts willfollow in later sections.

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method of using an emergencymedicament device. The method includes reading an ID tag from themedicament device using a mobile device; automatically requestinginstructions for using the medicament device based on the ID tag; anddisplaying a video to a user of the mobile device, the video providinginstructions for using the medicament device in accordance with approvedlabeling of the medicament device.

In various embodiments, the ID tag is a quick response (QR) code.

In various embodiments, the method further includes reading productinformation including an expiration date from the medicament device;transmitting the product information to an application server; andreceiving a notification from the application server regarding theexpiration date of the medicament device. The step of reading anexpiration date may include photographing a printed expiration date onthe medicament device; and recognizing characters in the printedexpiration date. The product information may further include a lotnumber and the method may further include receiving a notificationregarding a recall of the medicament device based on the lot number.

In various embodiments, the video is streamed from a remote applicationserver.

In various embodiments, the method further includes receiving anindication that the medicament device has been used; and providinglocation information to emergency services.

In various embodiments, the method further includes sending registrationinformation to an application server, the registration informationincluding a request to track location information; receiving medicamentdevice information for a registered medicament device including locationinformation; and displaying a map including registered medicament deviceinformation.

Various exemplary embodiments relate to an electronic medicament deviceincluding: a reservoir configured to store an amount of medication fortreating anaphylaxis; an administration component for administering themedication to a patient; a processor communicatively connected to amemory storing medicament device information; and an identification tagconfigured to be read by another device, the identification tagproviding the medicament device information including identification ofinstructions for using the medicament device.

In various embodiments, the electronic medicament device includes adisplay device, wherein the processor is configured to display an alertvia the display device when an expiration date associated with theamount of medication has been passed.

In various embodiments, the processor is configured to play audioinstructions for administering the medication.

In various embodiments, processor is configured to control the amount ofmedication administered by the administration component.

In various embodiments, administration component is an auto-injector.

In various embodiments, the electronic medicament device furtherincludes a communication interface, wherein the processor is configuredto communicate with at least one remote system via the communicationinterface in response to the occurrence of an event, the event includingat least one of: administration of the medication and expiration of themedication.

In various embodiments, the electronic medicament device furtherincludes a temperature sensor configured to determine the currenttemperature of the medication, wherein the processor is configured toprovide an indication that the current temperature is outside of anapproved temperature range.

In various embodiments, the electronic medicament device furtherincludes a short-range wireless communication interface, wherein theprocessor is configured to periodically attempt to connect to anexternal device via the short-range wireless communication interface andtrigger an alarm responsive to the attempt to connect failing.

Various exemplary embodiments relate to an application server incommunication with a mobile device, the application server including aprocessor and a memory, the application server configured to: receive amedicament device identifier scanned from an emergency medicament devicecontaining epinephrine for the treatment of anaphylaxis using anapplication on the mobile device; and stream an instructional video tothe mobile device, the instructional video providing instructions forusing the medicament device in accordance with approved labeling of themedicament device.

In various embodiments, the application server is further configured to:receive registration information from the mobile device including anexpiration date and lot number scanned from a medicament device andcontact information; store the registration information in associationwith the contact information; determine an event associated with theregistration information; and send a notification to the mobile devicebased on the event and the contact information.

In various embodiments, the event is one of an expiration of themedicament device and a recall of the medicament device.

In various embodiments, the application server is further configured to:periodically receive location information of the medicament device fromthe mobile device; update a database with the location information forthe medicament device; receive a request for location information from asecond device; determine whether the second device is allowed to accessthe location information for the medicament device based on theregistration information; and provide medicament device informationincluding the location information to the second device responsive tothe second device being allowed to access the location information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to better understand various exemplary embodiments, referenceis made to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary electronic medicament device;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary network environment for an electronicmedicament device;

FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart showing an exemplary method performed bya mobile device; and

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart showing an exemplary method of monitoringa medicament.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals refer to likecomponents or steps, there are disclosed broad aspects of variousexemplary embodiments.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary electronic medicament device 100. Theelectronic medicament device 100 may include a medication for treating acondition, the medication being stored in a reservoir. In variousexemplary embodiments, the electronic medicament device 100 includes anauto-injector for epinephrine or other administration component such asa non-auto-injector needle or controlled access panel for providingaccess to a solid medication stored in the reservoir. Medicaments 120may include one or more medicaments for treating emergency or othermedical conditions. In various exemplary embodiments, medicament device120 may be auto-injectors for administering a dose of epinephrine.Suitable auto-injectors and associated devices and method are describedby U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,031,893; 4,394,863, 4,484,910; 4,640,686; 4,678,461;4,795,433; 4,832,682; 5,085,641; 5,092,843; 5,102,393; 5,354,286;7,449,012; and 8,048,035, all of which are hereby incorporated byreference in their entireties for all purposes.

Medicament device 100 or packaging 160 may be imprinted with variousmedicament information. For example, medicament device 100 may includethe name of the medicament, active ingredients, dosage, expiration date,lot ID, and product serialization number. The medicament information maybe printed in a manner that is machine-readable. For example, themedicament information may be printed as a quick response (QR) code 170.The medicament information may also be printed as text that is easilyrecognized using optical character recognition (OCR). Packaging 160 mayinclude a container such as a box or tube as well as any inserts orcards included within the packaging. It should be apparent that anyinformation included on the medicament device 100 may instead be locatedon packaging 150. As will be discussed in further detail below, themedicament information may also be digitally encoded in a memory 130 ofthe medicament device.

The electronic medicament device 100 may further include sensor 110, IDtag 120, memory 130, display 140, and speaker 150. Although notillustrated, the electronic medicament device may include additionalhardware such as, for example, a processor and/or additionalcommunication interfaces. A processor may interconnect one or more ofthose components illustrated in FIG. 1. Such additional communicationinterface may include, for example, an interface for communication viawifi, a mobile carrier network, or satellite. Alternatively, theadditional communication interface may include a wired communicationinterface.

Sensor 110 may detect activation of electronic medicament device 100.Sensor 110 may include a frangible element that completes or breaks anelectronic circuit when electronic medicament device 100 is activated.Sensor 110 may provide a signal to ID tag 120 to perform an action inresponse to use of the medicament. Sensor 110 may alter memory 130 toindicate that the medicament device 100 is used and may log a time ofuse.

In various embodiments sensor 110 may include a temperature sensor. Thetemperature sensor may continuously measure the current temperature ofthe medication. The temperature sensor may provide the currenttemperature to a processor to compare to approved temperatures. Inembodiments where the medication is epinephrine, the approvedtemperature range may be 15-30° C. An alarm may be generated by display140 or speaker 150 if the current temperature is outside of the approvedtemperature range.

In various embodiments, sensor 110 may include a colorimetric sensorcapable of determining the color of the medicament. For example, sensor110 may be a spectrophotometer. The color of the medicament may beindicative of the quality of the medicament. For example, a medicamentmay turn from clear to pink or brown if the medicament becomes degraded.

ID tag 120 may include an RFID, NFC, or other tag for short rangewireless communications. Such tags may be powered by passive energy andnot require a battery. In various embodiments, ID tag 120 may include abattery powered wireless transmitter using, for example, Bluetooth. IDtag 120 may provide information from electronic medicament device 100 toa wireless reader such as, for example, wireless reader 140 or a NFCenabled mobile device. ID tag 120 may be connected to or include memory130. In various embodiments, ID tag 120 may be located on packaging 160rather than medicament device 100.

Memory 130 may store information regarding electronic medicament device100. Memory 130 may include a non-volatile memory such as a read-onlymemory (ROM) or an electronically erasable programmable read only memory(EEPROM). Information stored by memory 130 may include manufacture date,expiration date, medication, dose size, audio instructions, textinstructions, other instructions, prescription information, re-orderinformation, and emergency contact information.

Display 140 may include a display such as a LCD, LED array, or a singleLED. Display 140 may display information about electronic medicamentdevice 100. Display 140 may read and display any information stored inmemory 130. For example, display 140 may display the expiration date ofthe medication. Display 140 may also display instructions for a user. Invarious embodiments, display 140 may illuminate, flash, or display aparticular message in response to particular events such as theexpiration of the medication, use of the medicament, or separation fromanother device such as case or a mobile device 220.

Speaker 150 may provide audio output. For example, speaker 150 may playpre-recorded instructions stored in memory 130. In various embodiments,ID tag 120 or another communication interface (not shown) may downloador stream information from another device to be played by speaker 150.For example, the electronic medicament device 100 may stream informationfrom an application server 250 or from a remote operator, eitherdirectly or via a mobile device 220

In various embodiments, the electronic medicament device 100 may bereusable. As such, the electronic medicament device 100 may receive adisposable cartridge or component set including the medication and/or aclean needle. Such cartridge or component set may include its own RFIDtag or other means for communicating an expiration date or otherinformation to the electronic medicament device 100 or mobile device220.

In various embodiments, the processor or other component of theelectronic medicament device 100 may alter the operation of theelectronic medicament device 100 based on user information or otherinformation. For example, the electronic medicament device 100 mayprovide different dosages based on a dosage prescribed to an authorizeduser. As another example, a user may input a patient weight, height,and/or body mass index (BMI) into a keypad of the electronic medicamentdevice 100 or input information into a mobile device 220 and wirelesslytransmit the user information to the medicament device 100. Theprocessor may then calculate and administer an appropriate dosage basedon the input factors. As another example, the processor may prevent ordisable medicine administration when the user is not authorized for suchadministration.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary network environment 200 for electronicmedicament device 100. Electronic medicament device 100 may interactwith various elements of network environment 200 to provide emergencyaccess and enhanced features. Network environment 200 may includenetwork 205, GPS satellites 210, mobile device 220, mobile base station225, wireless router 230, medical server 240, central control 250, andemergency services 260.

Network 205 may be a digital network for communicating information. Forexample, network 205 may be the internet. Network 205 may transmitinformation between various end users and devices. Network 205 may alsoinclude telephone networks.

GPS satellites 210 may enable electronic medicament device 100, mobiledevice 220, and other devices to determine their respective physicallocations. GPS satellites 210 may be geosynchronous satellites thatbroadcast signals. GPS enabled devices may use the signals from multiplesatellites to determine their location. In various embodiments, GPSsatellites 210 may include or be replaced by terrestrial locationsystems. For example, wi-fi access points may be used to detect thephysical location of a device.

Mobile device 220 may be a device such as a smart phone, tabletcomputer, laptop, or any other computing device capable of executingapplications and performing communication. In various embodiments,mobile device 220 is an NFC enabled mobile phone that can communicateusing short range wireless protocols as well as local networking andmobile networks. In particular, mobile device 220 may communicate with amobile network using mobile base station 225. Mobile device 220 mayinclude location detecting services such as GPS.

Mobile device 220 may interact with the electronic medicament device 100using RFID, NFC, or other wireless communication. Mobile device 220 mayread medicament information that is either printed on medicament device100 or stored in memory 130. For example, mobile device 220 may includea camera and application configured to read a QR code or printed text.Mobile device 220 may also read data from the memory 130 using ashort-range wireless protocol such as RFID, NFC or Bluetooth. Theshort-range wireless communication may also be used by mobile device 220to determine the presence of a medicament device 100. For example,mobile device 220 may periodically attempt to read the medicament device100 and determine that the medicament device 100 is not present if themobile device 220 is unable to read the medicament device 100.

Mobile device 220 may include an application specifically forinteracting with electronic medicament device 100. Mobile device 220 mayaccess memory 130 via ID tag 120 and read or write data. Mobile device220 may detect changes in electronic medicament device 100 and performactions in response. For example, mobile device 220 may detect thatelectronic medicament device 100 has been activated. Mobile device 220may automatically contact emergency services 260 and allow a user tospeak with emergency personnel, or mobile device 220 may provide apre-recorded message to emergency services 260 indicating that themedicament has been activated to treat a condition of the patient.Mobile device 220 may also provide a location based on GPS informationso that emergency personnel can locate the patient. The application mayalso interact with server 250 to provide additional medicament relatedinformation and services. For example, the application may providedisease information and news, medicament registration, reminders,product accessory information, medicament insert and patientinformation, and local allergy information.

ID tag 120 may be used to determine whether electronic medicament device100 is within close proximity to a mobile device 220. ID tag 120 mayperiodically poll or be polled by a wireless reader in the mobile device220. If the poll does not occur when expected, or the mobile device doesnot respond, electronic medicament device 100 may generate an alert. Forexample, electronic medicament device 100 may play a sound through thespeaker 150 or flash the display 140 to alert a user. The alert mayremind the user to keep the medicament close by in case of emergency.Mobile device 220 may also generate an alert if electronic medicamentdevice 100 is not detected. Mobile device 220 may be configured to checkfor the presence of electronic medicament device 100 whenever the userenters or leaves a particular location. For example, mobile device 220may generate an alert if a user leaves home without the electronicmedicament device.

In various embodiments, the ID tag 120 may be used to actively searchfor electronic medicament device 100. Mobile device 220 may beconfigured to transmit a signal to ID tag 120 upon activation by a user.The signal may be received by ID tag 120 and cause the speaker 150 toproduce an audible sound. The volume or pitch of the sound may varydepending on the strength of the received signal. Alternatively, mobiledevice 220 may detect a signal reflected by an ID tag 120 such as apassive RFID tag. Mobile device 220 may play an audible sound and varythe volume or pitch depending on the strength of the reflected signal.

Mobile device 220 may also contact emergency contacts. For example,mobile device 220 may email, message, or call any emergency contactsstored in memory 130 or within mobile device 220 when the electronicmedicament device 100 is used or generates some other alert. Mobiledevice 220 may select contacts based on time of day or other availableinformation.

Upon detection of an expired medicament or activation of the medicament,mobile device 220 may initiate ordering a replacement medicament Mobiledevice 220 may send an order to either control center 250 or medicalserver 240. The order may include patient and prescription information.Medical server 240 may determine whether the prescription includesrefills, whether replacements are allowed without a prescription, orwhether the patient has a valid or perpetual prescription for themedicament. Medical server 240 may automatically fulfill the order ifthe prescription is authorized. Alternatively, medical server 240 mayschedule an appointment with the patient's doctor for a new prescriptionand to follow-up regarding the deployment of the medicament.

Wireless router 230 may be a wireless router providing connectivity to alocal area network (LAN) and the internet. Wireless router 220 may beaccessed electronic medicament device 100, and mobile device 220.Accordingly, wireless router 220 may provide these devices with internetaccess to send and receive data.

Medical server 240 may be a server operated by a health care provider,health insurance provider, or government health agency. Medical server240 may store patient information. Medical server 240 may providepatient information to authorized devices such as the patient's mobiledevice 220, control center 250, and emergency services 260. Medicalserver 240 may be configured to receive and process particular messagesfrom electronic medicament device 100, mobile device 220, and controlcenter 250. For example, medical server 240 may be configured to verifyprescriptions and order refills.

Application server 250 may be a computer server operated by a medicamentmanufacturer or other third party. The application server 250 mayprovide a downloadable application for execution on a mobile device. Theapplication server 250 may also provide support for the downloadableapplication and/or a web application. The application server 250 mayinclude a database of registered medicament information provided bypatients who opt to register the medicament device 100. The applicationserver 250 may provide various services accessible via the application.The application server 250 may provide audio and/or video instructionsthat may be downloaded or streamed to a mobile device. The applicationserver 250 may provide information to a mobile device based on aregistered medicament device. For example, the application server 250may track expiration dates and provide notification of approachingexpiration dates. In various embodiments, the application server 250 mayprovide a tracking system enabling a registered user to track the lastknown physical location of registered medicament devices.

The electronic medicament device 100 may provide usage information tothe application server 250 which, in turn, may process the data forvarious uses. For example, the application server 250 may provide theprocessed usage data to an application executing on a mobile device,such as mobile device 220. Such application may provide, for example amap indicating where the user has administered the electronic medicamentdevice 100 and/or other electronic medicament devices 100. Suchapplication could also present a real-time alert as to when theelectronic medicament device 100 has been used, including locationinformation. The application may also provide historical data andanalysis of electronic medicament device 100 usage events such as eventlistings and graphs. As another example, the application server 250 maytrack disposal and/or recycling of medicament device 100. A disposal orrecycling facility may scan medicament information including a lot IDand product serialization number from medicament device 100. Thedisposal or recycling facility may send the scanned medicamentinformation to application server 250 and/or medical server 240 forreconciliation with registered medicament device 100.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flowchart showing an exemplary method 300 performedby a mobile device 220. Mobile device 220 may include an applicationconfigured to cause the processor and other components of mobile device220 to perform the steps of the method 300. The method 300 may begin atstep 305 and proceed to step 310.

In step 310, the mobile device 220 may read medicament information fromthe medicament device 100. In various embodiments, the mobile device 220may use a camera take a picture of medicament device 100 or thepackaging thereof. For example, a user may take a photograph of theexpiration date, lot number, and serialization number, or take aphotograph of a QR code. The mobile device 220 may analyze thephotograph to determine medicament information. The mobile device 220may also forward the photograph to an application server 250 foranalysis. In various embodiments, the mobile device 220 may read themedicament information from the memory 130.

In step 315, the mobile device 220 may determine whether a user wishesto register the medicament device 100. The mobile device 220 may presenta user interface providing an explanation of the benefits ofregistration an option to register. The user interface may also providethe ability for the user to enter contact information or to manuallyenter medicament information. If the user chooses to register themedicament device 100, the method 300 may proceed to step 320. If theuser chooses not to register the medicament device 100, the method 300may proceed to step 350.

In step 320, the mobile device 220 may send medicament information tothe server. The mobile device 220 may send medicament information readfrom the medicament device 100, packaging, and/or memory 130. The mobiledevice 220 may also send user information entered by the user. Invarious embodiments, the user may update an existing registration with anew medicament device 100. Accordingly, the server 150 may already haveuser information and only a user identifier may be sent with themedicament information. In various embodiments, the mobile device 220may send the medicament information to medical server 240 in addition toapplication server 250. For example, a government health agency maycollect medicament information. Application server 250 may also forwardthe medicament information to medical server 240.

In step 325, the mobile device 220 may determine whether the user wishesto register for a location tracking service. As will be described infurther detail below, the location tracking service may monitor thelocation of the medicament device 100 and help a user find the device100 if it is lost or activated. The mobile device 220 may prompt a userto enter additional information useful for tracking the location of themedicament device 100 such as a phone number of an additional mobiledevice 220 that may be used to track the medicament device 100. Theadditional mobile device 220 may be, for example, a mobile deviceusually carried by a child who has been prescribed the medicament device100. If the user enables location tracking, the method 300 may proceedto step 330. If the user opts out of location tracking, the method 300may proceed to step 340.

In step 330, the mobile device 220 may check for the presence of themedicament device. In various embodiments, the mobile device 220 may usea short-range wireless communication protocol such as Bluetooth to pollthe medicament device. If the medicament device 100 is present, themobile device 220 may establish a connection with the medicament device100 and receive additional information.

In step 335, the mobile device 220 may report the location of themedicament device 100 to the server 150. If the mobile device 220detected the presence of the medicament device 100 in step 330, themobile device may report the location of the mobile device 220 as thelocation of the medicament device 100. If the medicament device 100 isnot detected, the mobile device 220 may report a missing medicamentdevice having no known location or report the last known location of themedicament device 100.

In step 340, the mobile device 220 may determine whether a user wishesto receive reminders regarding the medicament device 220. The mobiledevice 220 may present a user interface displaying information regardingavailable reminders. The user of the mobile device may select thosereminders he or she would like to receive. Exemplary reminders regardinga medicament device may include a reminder to replace an expiredmedicament device, a reminder to review instructions, a reminder toobtain a new prescription, a reminder to perform a medical test, and areminder to take a periodic dose from the medicament device. The mobiledevice 220 may send the selected reminders to server 150, which maymonitor for events related to the reminders. In step 345, the mobiledevice 220 may receive a reminder from the server 150 based onmedicament information. In various embodiments, the reminder may bereceived via simple messaging service (SMS), email, or an applicationbased messaging system.

In step 350, the mobile device 220 may determine whether the user wishesto receive instructions. The user may indicate a desire to receiveinstructions by selecting a button within the application. In variousembodiments, the mobile device 220 may automatically requestinstructions based on the user scanning a QR code or taking a picture ofthe medicament device. If the user desires to receive instructions, themethod 300 may proceed to step 355. If the user does not desire toreceive instructions, the method 300 may proceed to step 360. In step355, the mobile device 220 may request the instructions from the server250. The request may include information identifying the medicamentdevice 100. In various embodiments, the request may include only a nameor identifier of the medicament device 100 and not particularinformation such as a lot number, product serialization number, orexpiration date. In step 355, the mobile device 220 may receiveinstructions from server 250. The instructions may be in the form of avideo streamed from the application server 240. The instructions mayalso include audio or written instructions.

In step 360, the mobile device 220 may determine whether the user wishesto receive news regarding the medicament device 100. The user mayindicate a desire to receive news by selecting a button within theapplication. If the user desires to receive news, the method 300 mayproceed to step 365. If the user does not desire to receive news, themethod 300 may proceed to step 370. In step 365, the mobile device 220may receive news updates from the server 250. The news updates may bepushed to the mobile device 220 based on the identified medicamentdevice.

In step 370, the mobile device 220 may determine whether the userdesires to track a medicament device 100. The tracking service mayrequire registration of the medicament device with server 250. The usermay indicate a desire to track a medicament device by selecting a buttonwithin the application. In various embodiments, tracking a medicamentdevice 100 may be initiated by an application server 250 in response toan event concerning the device. For example, use of a registeredmedicament device 100 may be reported to the application server 250 by apatient's mobile device. The application server 250 may then push anotification to another user device 220, such as a device of a parent orother emergency contact, and provide tracking information. If the userdesires to track a medicament device 100, the method 300 may proceed tostep 375. If the user does not desire to track a medicament device, themethod 300 may proceed to step 390, where the method 300 ends.

In step 375, the mobile device 220 may retrieve information regardingregistered medicament devices 100 including location information. Themobile device 220 may require the user to enter a password or performother security operations to ensure only the registered user has accessto the medicament device information. The mobile device 220 may presenta list of medicament devices 100 registered to the user or may requestinformation regarding all registered medicament devices. The applicationserver 250 may receive the request and extract medicament deviceinformation from a database. The application server 250 may also attemptto update the medicament device locations by polling other mobiledevices associated with registered medicament devices for currentmedicament device information.

The mobile device 220 may receive the medicament information from theserver 250. The medicament information may include a location, which maybe, for example, longitude and latitude coordinates or a street address.The medicament information may also include information such as thecurrent temperature of the medicament device, the time of the last useof the medicament device, and a number of doses remaining in themedicament device. In step 380, the mobile device 220 may present themedicament device information to the user as a map. The map may indicatethe current location of the medicament device 100 as well as the currentlocation of the mobile device 220.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart showing an exemplary method 400 ofmonitoring a medicament. The method 400 may be performed by a mobiledevice 220 in communication with an electronic medicament device 100.The method 400 may be performed as step 330 of method 300 illustrated inFIG. 3.

The method 400 may begin at step 405 and proceed to step 410. In step410, the mobile device 220 may determine its location. In variousembodiments, mobile device 220 may use the location to determine whetherto proceed with the method. For example, the mobile device 220 maydiscontinue the method if the mobile device is in a designated location,or the mobile device may delay the method until a change in location isdetected.

In step 415, the mobile device 220 may detect any electronic medicamentdevices nearby. Mobile device 220 may use RFID, NFC, Bluetooth oranother close range protocol to poll nearby tags 120 on a medicamentdevice. Mobile device 220 may be configured to poll one or more specificelectronic medicament devices with identifiers known by mobile device220. In step 420, mobile device 220 may determine whether an electronicmedicament device 100 is present. If no medicament device is present,the method may proceed to step 425. If a medicament device is detected,the method may proceed to step 430.

In step 425, the mobile device 220 may generate an alarm. The alarm mayindicate any particular medicament device that was not detected. Thealarm may include a message identifying the medicament device by name orby a condition that it treats. If the mobile device performs method 400frequently, it may be likely that the medicament device is nearby,although out of range of the short range wireless protocol. Accordingly,a user may be reminded to retrieve the medicament device. The mobiledevice 220 may also generate a message to another mobile device. Forexample, the mobile device 220 may send an SMS message or email to aparent, guardian, or other emergency contact indicating that themedicament device 100 has been separated from the mobile device 220. Themethod 400 may then proceed to step 460, where the method ends.

In step 430, the mobile device 220 may receive data from the medicamentdevice. Mobile device 220 may send a read command to read data frommemory 130. In various embodiments, mobile device 220 may receive datafrom the electronic medicament device 100 when sensor 110 determinesthat the device 100 has been activated. In step 435, mobile device 220may determine whether the medicament device 100 has been used. Mobiledevice 220 may determine the status of sensor 110 or parse data receivedin step 430. If the medicament device has been used, the method mayproceed to step 440. If the medicament device has not been used, themethod may proceed to step 450.

In step 440, mobile device 220 may document the current location of themobile device. The location of the mobile device may be used to identifythe location of device usage. In step 445, the mobile device may notifyemergency contacts. Mobile device 220 may contact emergency services,for example, by dialing 911. The mobile device 220 may turn on a speakerphone to allow a user, who may be suffering from anaphylaxis or anothermedical condition to speak to an emergency dispatcher. If mobile device220 does not receive any voice input, mobile device 220 may play arecorded message indicating that the electronic medicament device hasbeen activated at the stored location. Mobile device 220 may alsocontact other people. For example, mobile device 220 may call, email, ormessage emergency contacts stored in mobile device 220 or memory 130.

In step 450, mobile device 220 may determine whether the electronicmedicament device 100 is expired. Mobile device 220 may compare anexpiration date received from the electronic medicament device 100 tothe current date. In various embodiments, the mobile device 220 may alsohave the ability to read the quality of the medicament. For example,mobile device 220 may read information from a sensor 110 in medicamentdevice 100. The sensor 110 may determine that the medicament has expiredearly if, for example, the medicament device 100 was stored at aninappropriate temperature or has changed properties such as colors. Invarious embodiments, the mobile device 220 may be able to determine thequality of the product. For example, the camera of the mobile device mayact as a spectrophotometer to measure the color of the medicament.Alternatively, the mobile device 220 may transmit a picture of themedicament device to application server 250 for spectrophotometricanalysis. The medicament device 100 may include a transparent window andcolored markings to assist with the spectrophotometric analysis. Themobile device 220 may determine that the medicament has expired early ifthe medicament exhibits a certain property. If the medicament device isexpired, the method may proceed to step 455. If the medicament device isnot expired, the method may proceed to step 450.

In step 455, the mobile device 455 may initiate an order for a refill orreplacement electronic medicament device. Mobile device 220 may send anorder to control center 250 and/or medical server 240. The method maythen proceed to step 460.

In step 460, the mobile device 220 may update an application server 250with information regarding the medicament device 220. The applicationserver 250 may use the updated information to provide up to dateinformation to other users associated with a registered medicamentdevice. For example, the updated information may be used to provide thetracking service described above. The updated information may also beused by the application server 250 to generate notifications regardinglocal conditions such as allergy and asthma alerts. The applicationserver 250 may provide such alerts as news to users who have registeredmedicament devices for treating the same condition. The method mayproceed to step 470, where the method may end.

According to the foregoing, various exemplary embodiments provide forsystems and methods for distributing medicaments. In particular, byproviding remote access to a medicament storage case, medicaments can beprovided to patients in an emergency.

It should be apparent from the foregoing description that variousexemplary embodiments of the invention may be implemented in hardwareand/or firmware. Furthermore, various exemplary embodiments may beimplemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable storage medium,which may be read and executed by at least one processor to perform theoperations described in detail herein. A machine-readable storage mediummay include any mechanism for storing information in a form readable bya machine, such as a personal or laptop computer, a server, or othercomputing device. Thus, a machine-readable storage medium may includeread-only memory (ROM), random-access memory (RAM), magnetic diskstorage media, optical storage media, flash-memory devices, and similarstorage media.

It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any blockdiagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative circuitryembodying the principals of the invention. Similarly, it will beappreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transitiondiagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes whichmay be substantially represented in machine readable media and soexecuted by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer orprocessor is explicitly shown.

Although the various exemplary embodiments have been described in detailwith particular reference to certain exemplary aspects thereof, itshould be understood that the invention is capable of other embodimentsand its details are capable of modifications in various obviousrespects. As is readily apparent to those skilled in the art, variationsand modifications can be affected while remaining within the spirit andscope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing disclosure,description, and figures are for illustrative purposes only and do notin any way limit the invention, which is defined only by the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of using an emergency medicament device,the method comprising: reading an ID tag associated with the medicamentdevice using a mobile device; automatically requesting instructions forusing the medicament device based on the ID tag; and displaying a videoto a user of the mobile device, the video providing instructions forusing the medicament device in accordance with approved labeling of themedicament device.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the ID tag is aquick response (QR) code.
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:reading product information including an expiration date from themedicament device; transmitting the product information to anapplication server; and receiving a notification from the applicationserver regarding the expiration date of the medicament device.
 4. Themethod of claim 3, wherein the step of reading an expiration datecomprises: photographing a printed expiration date on the medicamentdevice; and recognizing characters in the printed expiration date. 5.The method of claim 3, wherein the product information further includesa lot number, the method further comprising receiving a notificationregarding a recall of the medicament device based on the lot number. 6.The method of claim 3, further comprising: sending registrationinformation to an application server, the registration informationincluding a request to track location information; receiving medicamentdevice information for a registered medicament device including locationinformation; and displaying a map including registered medicament deviceinformation.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the video is streamedfrom a remote application server.
 8. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: receiving an indication that the medicament device has beenused; and providing location information to emergency services.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: colorimetrically analyzing amedicament contained within the medicament device; determining whetherthe medicament has become degraded; and displaying an indication to auser that the medicament has become degraded.
 10. The method of claim 1further comprising wirelessly transmitting a signal to the medicamentdevice, wherein the medicament device is configured to produce anaudible alarm in response to the signal.
 11. An electronic medicamentdevice comprising: a reservoir configured to store an amount ofmedication for treating anaphylaxis; an administration component foradministering the medication to a patient; a processor communicativelyconnected to a memory storing medicament device information; and anidentification tag configured to be read by another device, theidentification tag providing the medicament device information includingidentification of instructions for using the medicament device.
 12. Theelectronic medicament device of claim 11 further comprising a displaydevice, wherein the processor is configured to display an alert via thedisplay device when an expiration date associated with the amount ofmedication has been passed.
 13. The electronic medicament device ofclaim 11, further comprising a speaker, wherein the processor isconfigured to play audio instructions for administering the medication.14. The electronic medicament device of claim 11, wherein the processoris configured to control the amount of medication administered by theadministration component.
 15. The electronic medicament device of claim11, wherein the administration component is an auto-injector.
 16. Theelectronic medicament device of claim 11, further comprising acommunication interface, wherein the processor is configured tocommunicate with at least one remote system via the communicationinterface in response to the occurrence of an event, the eventcomprising at least one of: administration of the medication andexpiration of the medication.
 17. The electronic medicament device ofclaim 11, further comprising a temperature sensor configured todetermine the current temperature of the medication, wherein theprocessor is configured to provide an indication that the currenttemperature is outside of an approved temperature range.
 18. Theelectronic medicament device of claim 11, further comprising ashort-range wireless communication interface, wherein the processor isconfigured to periodically attempt to connect to an external device viathe short-range wireless communication interface and trigger an alarmresponsive to the attempt to connect failing.
 19. An application serverin communication with a mobile device, the application server comprisinga processor and a memory, the application server configured to: receivea medicament device identifier scanned from an emergency medicamentdevice containing epinephrine for the treatment of anaphylaxis using anapplication on the mobile device; and stream an instructional video tothe mobile device, the instructional video providing instructions forusing the medicament device in accordance with approved labeling of themedicament device.
 20. The application server of claim 19, furtherconfigured to: receive registration information from the mobile deviceincluding an expiration date and lot number scanned from the medicamentdevice and contact information; store the registration information inassociation with the contact information; determine an event associatedwith the registration information; and send a notification to the mobiledevice based on the event and the contact information.
 21. Theapplication server of claim 20, wherein the event is one of anexpiration of the medicament device and a recall of the medicamentdevice.
 22. The application server of claim 20, wherein the applicationserver is further configured to: periodically receive locationinformation of the medicament device from the mobile device; update adatabase with the location information for the medicament device;receive a request for location information from a second device;determine whether the second device is allowed to access the locationinformation for the medicament device based on the registrationinformation; and provide medicament device information including thelocation information to the second device responsive to the seconddevice being allowed to access the location information.
 23. Theapplication server of claim 20, wherein the registration informationfurther comprises a unique product serialization number and theapplication server is further configured to receive a second productserialization number of a destroyed medicament device and correlate theproduct serialization number with the registered product serializationnumber.